Heavy Horse Experience Days
A series of days designed to
give people the opportunity to work with the Museum’s team of heavy horses and
have a thoroughly enjoyable day. All days are hands-on and physically demanding,
starting at 10 am and finishing at 4 pm.
A ploughman's lunch is included, please bring any other refreshment you may
need. Everyone must wear sensible warm and waterproof clothing and suitable
sturdy footwear. If you book and pay for more than four courses at one
time you may deduct £15 from the total.
Course fee: £80
per day.
The tutors on all courses
will be John McDermott, Robert Sampson and Mark Buxton, the Museum
horseman.
Robert Sampson has worked
with Percheron horses all his working life. He now breeds Percherons and
trains them and other breeds of heavy horse to work. He is a registered
farrier and farms 250 acres (using his Percherons whenever practical) on
the edge of the New Forest. A keen supporter of the Heavy Horse Driving
Trials Club, he competes regularly in their events with his sons. He is
also well-known as a big-team driver, the largest team to date being 18
Percherons. He will be entering for the British team again this year for
the Route du Poisson, a challenging relay race for heavy horses held in
France.
John McDermott has ploughed with Percheron horses since his late teens and
now owns three Percherons. His horses are frequently seen demonstrating
the St Giles steam fire engine at shows and events, and he competes very
successfully in heavy horse driving trials: this year he was champion,
winning the David Briggs Memorial Trophy. In the first New Forest Heavy
Horse Relay he was chef d’equipe for the winning Wessex Percheron Club,
collecting the Chris Zeuner Memorial Trophy. He will also be entering for
the British team this year for the Route du Poisson with his wife Rowena.
In 2002 he was reserve champion at the All England Ploughing Match winning
the short turn furrow class.
Mark Buxton is the Museum’s horseman. He has wide experience in working
with horses and has recently come to the museum from the Royal Parks,
where he was head horseman for 14 years.
Follow the activities of heavy horse enthusiasts through www.heavyhorseworld.co.uk
For general information about breeds visit www.heavyhorses.co.uk
PLOUGHING
WITH HEAVY HORSES
11 November 2007
18 November 2007
2 December 2007
Covering the basics of ploughing including preparing the harness and the
plough for work in the field. Beginners and improvers equally welcome.
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CARE AND MANAGEMENT OF HEAVY HORSES
20 January 2008
